Day 667 - Maybe so, maybe not. We'll see. - https://golifelog.com/posts/maybe-so-maybe-not-well-see-1666999875629
When doors to opportunities close in your face, it sucks. It’s weird but sometimes the Universe was actually trying to protect you with the closed door.
Like how a few months back I had a meeting with a potential client, and the chat ended off well. It felt optimistic. I liked the problem they were trying to solve. A consultancy gig was in the books. Or so it seemed. Weeks on, the lead went cold. No news. What a shame, I thought.
But recently I had the chance to learn more about the client and their project. There were so many red flags! Now I know why that door was closed.
I was being protected. Somehow.
It reminded me of this parable of a Chinese farmer:
A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbours exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”
A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well. The neighbours shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”
Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the horses and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The neighbours cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”
A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, because he had a broken leg. The neighbours shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.
It’s crazy how our notions of good or bad events happening to us are so tunnel-visioned on our immediate context. The moment the context switches, what’s good or bad switches too.
Truly, it’s impossible to know the good or bad, objectively.
An open door is good fortune, but can turn into misfortune. A close door counts as bad luck, but ended up as good luck. If the Universe didn’t offer a peek behind the curtains for this one occasion, I would have never known the bad had flipped to the good.
Makes me think a lot about my recent bad luck and misfortunes.
Made me think even more about some of the recent good opportunities that came along.
Maybe it’s bad.
Maybe it’s good.
Maybe not. We’ll see.
Like how a few months back I had a meeting with a potential client, and the chat ended off well. It felt optimistic. I liked the problem they were trying to solve. A consultancy gig was in the books. Or so it seemed. Weeks on, the lead went cold. No news. What a shame, I thought.
But recently I had the chance to learn more about the client and their project. There were so many red flags! Now I know why that door was closed.
I was being protected. Somehow.
It reminded me of this parable of a Chinese farmer:
A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbours exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”
A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well. The neighbours shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”
Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the horses and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The neighbours cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”
A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, because he had a broken leg. The neighbours shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.
It’s crazy how our notions of good or bad events happening to us are so tunnel-visioned on our immediate context. The moment the context switches, what’s good or bad switches too.
Truly, it’s impossible to know the good or bad, objectively.
An open door is good fortune, but can turn into misfortune. A close door counts as bad luck, but ended up as good luck. If the Universe didn’t offer a peek behind the curtains for this one occasion, I would have never known the bad had flipped to the good.
Makes me think a lot about my recent bad luck and misfortunes.
Made me think even more about some of the recent good opportunities that came along.
Maybe it’s bad.
Maybe it’s good.
Maybe not. We’ll see.